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Winnipeg quarterback Buck Pierce (4) is injured while being sacked by Saskatchewan's Jerrell Freeman (left) and Barrin Simpson in the fourth quarter Sunday.

THE risk ultimately won out over the reward, leaving the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to plow ahead without quarterback Buck Pierce.

The Bombers confirmed Monday that Pierce, a popular, off-season free agent pick-up despite his lengthy injury history, suffered a dislocated right elbow and will be out for what the team calls an "extended period." Head coach Paul LaPolice stopped short of dubbing it a season-ending injury and said the club wasn't ready to lock down any timetable for Pierce or speculate on what the future of the oft-injured pivot would be heading into the second half of the CFL season.

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Buck Pierce grimaces as Bomber training staff examine his elbow Sunday. (JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

All that's known is that his throwing arm was in a sling Monday and his return to the field is being discussed not in terms of weeks, but in months.

"(Pierce) will be out a while... he's out a long time," LaPolice told reporters. "I got here this morning and he was outside, so I sat and talked with him for about 15 minutes. The kid is a great pro. He cares so much. He cares about the team, loves the community... he's frustrated. He's down about why these freak things keep happening to him. I feel for him.

"He's disappointed that this happened again."

Pierce, who wasn't available to the media, did reach out to Bomber fans via the team Twitter account Monday, offering this message to his followers: "I'm extremly (sic) frustrated & disappointed. Thank you to all the fans for their support."

The injury occurred with just under three minutes left to play in the Bombers' 27-23 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders Sunday afternoon.

After being taken down by Roughriders DE Brent Hawkins once he let go of the football, Pierce fell awkwardly backwards, his right elbow landing on the helmet of a Saskatchewan defender. The pivot was in immediate pain, grimacing as he walked off the field.

It was the 10th time in 27 games the former B.C. Lion QB has had to leave the contest because of an injury.

The elbow injury is not the first time the six-year veteran has suffered a serious -- if not strange -- injury as a member of the Blue and Gold, as the 28-year-old had his right knee bent back by a Hamilton defender as both men fell to the turf back in July.

Pierce, whose inability to stay on the field is well-documented on his deepening medical profile, missed four of the next five games after that, never looking comfortable when he did return to action in an Aug. 13 loss to the Tiger-Cats.

"Obviously in a violent game like this it can happen," LaPolice said. "Like I said, it's unfortunate for the kid that he's had (to deal with this). He's had a couple (like this) over the past couple years."

It now falls to the Bombers to deal with Pierce's absence from the lineup, a situation they knew was a possibility when they signed the New Mexico State product during the off-season.

Through nine games, Pierce has only started four games as a Bomber and has only finished two of those. The gamble hasn't paid off, concerns about his health have been realized, and the club is now left to decide if Steven Jyles, Alex Brink and Joey Elliott have enough to scrape out a few wins and possibly salvage something from the 2010 campaign.

LaPolice dismissed the idea of dusting off a veteran QB like Kerry Joseph (who turns 37 in October) to stand in for the rest of the year. The coach says he would rather go in a younger direction, and plans to stick with the hand he's been dealt.

"We'll evaluate that, but right now we'll stay with (three healthy quarterbacks)," LaPolice said. "We still have three here, and they've been engrossed in our system, that's where we'd start. We'd rather have guys who know our system."

Looking to end a five-game slide in Sunday's Banjo Bowl, the Bombers (2-7) return to practice Wednesday.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 7, 2010 C1